Shadowlands Tickets

Hugh Bonneville will reprise his role as C S Lewis in this sparkling new revival of William Nicholson's critically acclaimed play, which explores the relationship between the Chronicles of Narnia author and American poet Joy Davidman, in a moving portrait of love, loss, and faith.

Why you should see Shadowlands

• Don't miss BAFTA, Primetime Emmy, and Golden Globe Award-nominated Hugh Bonneville (Paddington, Downton Abbey) in his much anticipated return to the West End fresh off the success of the Downtown Abbey film.
• The play is based on the heartbreaking true story of C S Lewis's unexpected romance with Joy Davidman, and his own account of struggling with grief and faith after her untimely death.
• Lewis had a fascinating life and a remarkable impact on literature, and this is your chance to see him in a new light through a breath-taking and tragic piece of his history.

What is Shadowlands about?

It's the 1950s in Oxford and C S Lewis - a reserved middle-aged academic and author of the beloved Chronicles of Narnia - is perfectly happy being a permanent bachelor. That all changes when he meets American poet Joy Davidman, whose outspoken boldness clashes with the patriarchal world of the university, sparking an unexpected but powerful romance. But when Joy is diagnosed with cancer, Lewis must grapple with the realities of the fragility of life and love and face a harrowing challenge to his own faith.

First written for television in 1985, Shadowlands was adapted for the stage by William Nicholson (Gladiator) in 1989 and later inspired an Oscar-nominated 1993 film starring Anthony Hopkins. It's loosely based on Lewis's own musings about his grief and loss of faith in his book, A Grief Observed. Bonneville first starred in this role at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 2019, and is now set to make his much anticipated return to the London stage in this 2026 revival, which begins performances at the Aldwych Theatre in early 2026.

Don't miss this heart-rending portrait of love, loss, and faith when it arrives in London six years after first enchanting audiences.